GregLink/OldBureaucracyCharms
A Penny Saved...
Cost: 2m Duration: As specified at charm activation Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 3 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisites: Asssuming the Place of the Creation-Prince, Frugal Merchant Method
While some Solars have the ability to estimate the price of a given object in any market of their choosing, allowing them to travel great distances merely to find a good deal, others have found another approach. By simply watching and waiting, the Solar makes her purchase at the best possible moment, getting the lowest price available in a given time frame. When first activating this charm, the Solar determines how long she is willing to wait to make her acquisition, and commits the cost of the charm. During this time period, the Solar must make at least a cursory effort to find different vendors and obtain superior pricing. At the end of the specified time period, the player is told the lowest possible price that the desired product was available for during the shopping phase, and the character may opt to buy the item for exactly that price. This effect allows the character to get the best possible price possible in a given time frame, even if the Solar was not present for a particular sale, or the sale price would have expired by the end of the time frame. The Solar gains no benefit from this charm unless she allows the full time period to elapse while bargain shopping. Once the best price has been determined and the time elapsed, the Solar still purchases the item in a traditional fashion, allowing them to apply other 'pressures' to obtain yet further price discounts, if desired.
...is a Penny Earned
Cost: 2m Duration: As specified at charm activation Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisites: A Penny Saved...
Much as biding her time allows a Solar to find the best possible price on an item in a given time frame, with a bit more skill, the Solar can also exploit their patience to find more desperate buyers. Much as in "A Penny Saved...", at the time the charm is activated, the Solar specifies a time frame in which they're willing to wait for a buyer. During this time, they must make at least a cursory effort to find buyers in a given region, which might include techniques such as advertising, talking with resellers, or working at a suitable storefront. At the end of the timeframe, the character may opt to sell the item for the best possible price obtained during this time frame, regardless of when the original offer was first made. As in the previous charm, this sale occurs in a traditional fashion, allowing the use of other 'hard sell' techniques if so desired.
